Taylor: November Has Me All Shook Up!

Boston is a melting pot filled with thoughts and experiences of a lifetime, and it has me constantly in BURNING LOVE. I could not have imagined myself in any other place than this Commonwealth during the 2012 elections. The amount of canvassing and advertising, the sheer thrill of being near the headquarters of a presidential hopeful, and the diverse ranges of opinions are elements that will forever resonate in my thoughts.

 

At the Boston Public Library interviewing voters about their candidate choice for a journalism assignment.

This month I’ve had the great opportunity of making my BU on Broadway debut in an Elvis Presley inspired musical “All Shook Up” directed by COM Ambassador Tom Schrank. The experience of working with such an awesome directorial team and cast is indescribable. Not since I landed in Boston have I felt more enthused and excited about the future. Stepping on stage again after staying inactive freshmen year reignited my passion of performance and storytelling.

On stage performing in "All Shook Up"

Whether you enjoy solely conversing about politics or singing a few measures within a song, it is never too late to get involved in a campus activity. The experience is so worthy!

So much COMmotion backstage!

It’s Now or Never,

Taylor W.

 

Tom: The Life of a Student Director

Hey all! I hope you have all had a great start to the fall season. I’ve always been more of a winter person so the change to the new season always puts me in a good mood.

Besides the change in weather, the biggest thing on my mind has been the production I am directing through BU On Broadway, our musical theater group on campus. For anyone interested in doing extracurricular theater on campus, I am going to discuss how people can balance both their coursework and their extracurricular activities.

To start from the beginning, I was given the opportunity to direct the musical, All Shook Up, after having pitched the group to the Executive Board back in the spring. Since the group is entirely student run, teams interested in putting on their own show (as director, music director, or choreographer) pitch which show they want to do. The Executive Board and a select pitch committee deliberate on which show fits the group and the season. After an extensive pitch, my team was given the opportunity to direct.

Directing has been both a stressful, but extremely rewarding, experience. Being granted the experience of running an entire production has always been my dream and has definitely exceeded all my expectations. At the same time, being a student director is never an easy task. While one minute I’m cramming for my COM midterm, at another second I’m thinking about how to stage a particular scene. All of this is in between thinking about scheduling, sitting in meetings, and giving constant pep talks to my cast members.

My recommendation to anyone in COM is to take advantage of every opportunity. Even if you think you may be overwhelmed, the experience will be rewarding in too many ways. The opportunities are also great resume boosters! While getting internships is almost a necessity within COM, sometimes the greatest opportunities also come in extracurricular activities.

Signing Out,

Tom